Luggage on european trains-safe?

On occasion does some not so nice person grab a bag and jump off just before the doors close and the train departs? Sure. It happens and there have been a few posts here about it happening. Should you put a bike lock on your bag? Never seen it. Would I? No. Have I? No. But there is nothing of value in my luggage, so if it does happen I get to go shopping for new skivvies...... But if it makes you more comfortable and you enjoy the trip more, then get a cheap light bike lock or even a bungie cord (if it’s complicated to grab, they will most likely choose the bag next to yours). OR, if you travel small the bag fits over your seat and you can keep an eye on it.

Do not put a lock on your luggage. If you do, everyone else will hate you. Or, you could have problems opening your lock and miss your stop. (The trains don't stop long.)

Sometimes luggage is rearranged to allow an extra bag to be put in the luggage area. If you lock your bag, it can't be moved and you will inconvenience many other people.

Many trains have shelves above the seats for carry on sized bags or between some seats.

If you are that worried, get a seat near the luggage area so you can watch your bags during stops. That's when it is most vulnerable.

Do folks leave their luggage there as is (out of sight) or would i need some sort of lock?

People leave their luggage in the luggage racks unless they are very antisocial and put them on seats.

As for locks -,I was on a train from London to York. An American family had chained their bags to the storage racks. They were headed to York but couldn’t get the locks undone in time before the train left York Station. I waved them farewell as the train took off with them en route to the next stop. In Edinburgh. 200 miles away.

If your luggage is that valuable, you put it in the space over your seat which most trains have or alternatively you can get up and go stand there and watch every time you get to a stop.

You don’t want to be that rude person locking it to the luggage bins. And if you do decide to be that rude person, don’t be upset when somebody does something nasty to your luggage. They’re telling you what they think of people who mess up the system for everyone else. Yes my luggage often been moved on those bins while people try to get places for theirs. It’s never gotten off without me, however

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm

https://www.corporatetravelsafety.com/safety-tips/how-to-avoid-luggage-theft-on-european-trains/
https://www.easemytrip.com/blog/tips-to-keep-luggage-safe-during-train-travel

If your luggage is that valuable, you put it in the space over your seat which most trains have or alternatively you can get up and go stand there and watch every time you get to a stop.

If you don’t mind being trampled underfoot as commuters try to get past you to get off.

Not too many commutters on the Vienna to Budapest train. Mostly tourist for the long haul trip.

Tourists also panic when they can’t get off the train.

you don’t mind being trampled underfoot as commuters try to get past you to get off.

That’s easy . You get off the train you stand there out of everybody’s way. Watch the luggage come off. Make sure your piece doesn’t come offand then you get back on the train. It’s called being polite and getting out of people’s way.

If your precious stuff is so valuable that you think you get to block other people they’ll probably just shove their bag up your know what so try to be polite about it or better yet just leave your valuables at home and have trip insurance in case your clothing disappears

That's an interesting solution, Carol. We have used one of those lightweight travel cables when sitting some distance from our 24" bags but gave them a REALLY easy code, and paid attention to how close we were to the arrival station so they were unlocked and ready to go at jump-off spot. It's not as if they had anything valuable in them - that stuff is always with/on us - but neither did we want to waste a bunch of time/$ having to shop for new bags/clothing. This was almost strictly for some regional trains with no assigned seating, lots of stops, and easy for panhandlers and what-have -you to jump on and off without tickets.

But otherwise we haven't sweat about luggage.

I've seen others use those really heavy metal chains and wonder why they'd want to haul around all that weight! Ooof.

I don't place my luggage in the bins and only use the overhead space. Not all trains I have been on have the oversized-bins.

One time, when we had a rather large bag, was book a seat that was a single, with an empty space, which I set the bag because the train did not have a luggage space in the car. While it worked, what a pain.

I travel light enough that my bag fits in the overhead. Even if it is a carryon and a backpack. It all can go in the overhead rack.

Kathy, thr cable is reasonable. I dont know why a European would be any less tolerant of people than i would be. If the cable adds to your peace of mind, go for it. I assume you place the bag intelligently so as to not cause issues for others. Live an let live.

If you were a luggage thief on a train; what would you want to steal; a heavy and not easy to run away with suitcase that’s likely to only be filled with dirty socks and smelly underpants? Or a backpack that contains valuables like an iPad, a laptop, money etc etc?
Luggage thieves are thieves of opportunity. They run away with the valuables of those that were too busy protecting their suitcases filled with dirty laundry.
Bottom line; make sure that all your valuables are in a backpack or handbag that you keep with you at all times and on which you keep an eye on at all times.

Thanks, Mr. E. We really did make an effort not to inconvenience others....as all good travelers should do, eh?

One time, when we had a rather large bag, was book a seat that was a single, with an empty space, which I set the bag because the train did not have a luggage space in the car. While it worked, what a pain.

Really? Good look with that when there are 50 people standing and there are no seats.

Book seats that are at the end of the carriage as near to the between-carriage racks as possible.
You can watch your bag more easily.
Get yo your train a bit earlier if possible, as soon as you’re allowed onto the platform.
Get up at each stop to make sure your bag stays where you put it.
DO NOT chain it to the rack.
As everyone else said: only pack clothes and easily replaceable items in a suitcase.
Everything else in your personal bag.
Keep your personal bag with you on your lap, not in the overhead rack.
Take it with you if you go to the bathroom or buffet car.

You’ll be fine!

Last summer the trains in Switzerland were quite crowded with people standing and time between stops was short. Please do not attempt to lock your luggage to something if it will add more seconds to your existing process as tempers were already short toward tourists trying to maneuver their large wheelies down narrow aisles. If you’re that concerned about theft, you can always stand in the space between the cars with your luggage. We ‘had’ to do this several times because there was no place to sit.

,I was on a train from London to York. An American family had chained their bags to the storage racks. They were headed to York but couldn’t get the locks undone in time before the train left York Station. I waved them farewell as the train took off with them en route to the next stop. In Edinburgh. 200 miles away.

Omg

Haha... I'd be raging if I was standing all the way to Bristol and someone had booked a seat for their bag...

Someone suggested getting off the train to observe other people getting off to make sure they weren't leaving with their bag. That sounds like a recipe for getting left on a platform somewhere you really don't want to be. Not what I'd be doing. Never seen anyone lock a bag to a luggage rack on a British train either that I can recall.

Most overhead racks can hold a 25" bag. The question is whether you can lift your big bag that high.

We have used a bike cable on one trip. We were three couples in Italy with three 25" bags. We applied the cable afterthe train starts moving and everybody on the train had settled themselves and their baggage. We removed the cable about 10 minutes before we got to our destination to make sure we were ready to disembark.

After that trip, we no longer pack a bike cable because it is too much weight. We now try to travel lighter with carry-ons. If we need to use the end of car bag storage, I make a point to keep an eye on the luggage at stops.

funpig, I've said it before but I'll say it again; your posting name gives me the giggles.
That's a GOOD thing during anxious times.

I'm not sure how other UK contributors feel, but I've never really considered theft a problem on British trains. People do leave their bigger bags in luggage racks without much fear. Even when travelling alone, I've never thought much of going to the other end of the train to get a coffee and leaving my bag in the overhead bin. Not saying theft has never crossed my mind, but I've never perceived it as much of a risk, say London to Glasgow.

There is also the "A" shaped space between back-to-back seats that can fit a larger suitcase. Some trains have the luggage racks in the center of the carriage where you can keep an eye on it.

I can tell you that if somebody had chained a bag to the rack on the British trains I worked on or that of any of my colleagues, the train would have stopped at the nearest safe place to evacuate it and a security alert would happened. Not pleasant for passengers or crew. Yes, for other things, I have actually been involved in several security alerts. It is taken seriously.

Yikes. I won’t risk an international incident by using a chain. Will try to be alert and will keep my fingers crossed.

Thank you all for the different perspectives and tips.

I’m not sure how other UK contributors feel, but I've never really considered theft a problem on British trains. People do leave their bigger bags in luggage racks without much fear. Even when travelling alone, I've never thought much of going to the other end of the train to get a coffee and leaving my bag in the overhead bin. Not saying theft has never crossed my mind, but I've never perceived it as much of a risk, say London to Glasgow.

Agreed. I spent three years travelling for work, all across the UK for work. I happily put my suitcase with clothes, books and toiletries on the suitcase rack at the end of the carriage and didn’t think twice about it. Kept a backpack with me with my laptop and valuables, which either went on the overhead shelf or by my feet, and took it with me if I went to the buffet car.

I’ve travelled by train in Portugal, Germany and Netherlands and done the same. I take the mindset that if a thief wants to steal my case with a bunch of clothes and some make-up, let ‘em. As long as they don’t get my passport and credit cards, which I have on my person. It’s much more relaxing that way. Foreign travel can be stressful enough anyway without adding things to worry about.

Concrete countries would help to answer because Europe has 47 countries which vary from very safe to less safe. Example: Car rental firms have three zones in which they sort European countries (see Sixt zone lists).

Numbers for Germany only: every day federal police registered in average 66 cases of luggage theft in German long-distance trains. On an average day over 5 million people travel in around 24,000 trains of Deutsche Bahn (main rail provider in Germany).